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' I H 1H,)? will!!! WI whim W519)? [MI llwm v INVENTOR By ma ATTORNEY WET I JOHN IGELS'IROEM, OF MASSILLON, OHIO.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 15,1910.

Application filed September 30, 1909. Seria1 No. 520,247.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN IonLsTRomr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Massillon, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Sign, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in signs, and more particularly to that type of sign which is adapted to be suspended and rotated to display a plurality of faces and which may be readily collapsed for shipment or storage.

The present invention involves certain improvements over the pyramid sign disclosed in my prior patent No. 911991. In my present sign, the several sides of the pyramid are connected to a bottom or base and are foldable into engagement with said bottom or base during shipment. The parts are so connected together by string that they automatically unfold and assume an inverted pyramidal form when the string is secured to an overhead support. The sign being formed of light material, will be caused to rotate by the least current of air, and the several different sides of the pyramid will be displayed to view.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank of my improved sign and with the string connected thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sign in its folded or collapsed position ready for shipment or storage; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sign with the side members spread apart to more clearly show the structural features; Fig. 41 is a side elevation of the sign in suspended and operative position; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the pyramid inverted and with the parts secured in a different manner.

My improved sign may be formed of cardboard, pasteboard, sheet metal, or any other suitable sheet material, and is of such form that it may be folded to leave acenter or base portion and a plurality of triangular display sides. Preferably, the center or base portion is in the form of an equilateral triangle, and the three sides or display members 11, 12 and 13 are formed integral with the base portion along the three edges thereof, and are each equilateral triangles. Each side is foldable in respect to the center along a line 14, so that when the three sides are folded to bring their apexes together the sign will be in the form of a tetrahedron. In order to increase the display area of the sides, a portion of what would otherwise be the center section, is separated therefrom, so as to remain integral with the side and form an upwardly-extending projection or flange 15. This leaves the center portion with recesses in the opposite sides, and reduces it to a skeleton frame having three arms or branches spaced at equal distances apart and with each two adjacent arms or branches integral with one of the display sides. To facilitate the folding of the sign, the blank is preferably provided with three recesses 16, each disposed midway between the corners of the blank and at a corner of the center section 10. By providing these recesses any inaccuracy in the folding of one side in respect to the center, will not in any way interfere with the proper folding of the other sides in respect to the center.

For supporting the sign and for automatically holding the parts in proper posi tion to form an inverted pyramid, I provide a string 17, extending through suitable apertures in the separate members of the sign. One end 18 of the string is permanently secured to the apex of one of the side members, for instance, the side member 11. The string extends from this apex to the apex of the side 12 through one or more apertures in the latter, thence to the apex of the side 13 and through one or more apertures in said last-mentioned apex, and then upwardly through an opening 19 in the cen ter of the middle section or base 10. The arrangement of the sign is clearly shown in Fi 1. By supporting the device by the end 20 of the string, which extends through the opening 19, the string will tend to draw the several apexes toward each other, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the weight of the sign will bring all of the apexes together, and the parts will assume the position indicated in Fig. 4. The opening 19 being in the center will hold the sign even and symmetrical, and the apex of each side being at the lowermost portion, each side will be inclined so as to be easily read when the sign is supported at an elevation higher than the eyes of the observer. All of the blank is exposed to view, except the small skeleton of the center portion, and each display side is larger than the triangle by reason of the upwardly-extending lip or flange 15.

During shipment or storage of the sign, the parts do not need to be spread out to the full size of the blank, as indicated in Fig. 1, but instead, the string is loosened and the several sides are folded into engagement with the base in succession, so that they assume the position indicated in Fig. 2. \Vith the parts in this position, it is merely necessary to pick up the device by the end 20' of the string and the several sides will immediately fall down to the proper position, and the string will tighten and all of the parts will be held substantially firm in respect to each other. It is of course evident that instead of running the string through the aperture 19, the pyramid may be inverted and suspended from the apex, or the string may be omitted entirely and the projections or flaps 15 utilized as legs to support the sign. 'When the sign is supported in this manner, the apexes of the sides may be held together by a string or by a rubber band 21, as shown in Fig. 5. The rubber band will not slip off, as each side has an enlargement 22 at its apex.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A sign formed of sheet material and having a base or center portion and a plurality of sides foldable in respect thereto to form a pyramid, and means secured to the sides for suspending said pyramid with the apex thereof downward.

2. A sign formed of sheet material and having a base or center and a plurality of sides foldable in respect thereto to form a pyramid, and suspending means extending through said base and serving also to hold the apexes of said sides together.

3. A sign formed of sheet material and having a base or center portion and a plurality of sides foldable in respect thereto to form a pyramid, and a string having engagement with the apexes of said sides for holding them together and suspending the sign.

4. A sign formed of sheet material and having a base or center portion and a plurality of sides foldable in respect thereto to form a pyramid, and a string having en- 6. A sign formed of four substantially I equilateral triangular sections, including a center section and three display sections,

and means for securing together the outer apexes of said display sections, each of said display sections having a projection or flap cut from the center section and extending beyond the plane of the latter.

7. A sign formed of sheet material and having a center section provided with a plurality of equally spaced outwardly-extending arms or branches, and a plurality of display sections, each united with two of said arms or branches.

8. A sign formed of sheet material and having a center section provided with a plurality of equally spaced outwardly-extending arms or branches, and a. plurality of display sections, each united with two of said arms or branches, and each having a flap or projection formed of the material cut from between its corresponding arms or branches.

9. A sign formed of sheet material and comprising a. plurality of substantially triangular sides assembled to form a pyramid, each of said sides having an enlargement at the apex of the pyramid, and means for securing together said apexes.

10. A sign formed .of sheet material and having a center section or base and a plurality of display sections united therewith about the periphery thereof, each of said display sections having its side edges converging upwardly and having a portion cut from the center section and extending beyond the plane of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN IGELSTROEM.

\Vitnesses J. G. LESTER, H. J. MOLINN. 

